Ingegerd Birgersdotter of Bjelbo

Ingegerd Birgersdotter of Bjelbo
Queen consort of Sweden
Reign	1200–1208
Born	c. 1180
Died	1230
Spouse	Sverker II of Sweden
Father	Birger Brosa
Mother	Queen Brigida

File:COA family sv Magnus Ladulås.svg

Coat of Arms of Bjelbo

Ingegerd (or Ingegärd) Birgersdotter of Bjelbo (or Bjälbo), (ca. 1180–7 April after 1210, possibly 1230), was a Swedish Queen Consort, second spouse of King Sverker II of Sweden.

Ingegerd was born into one of Sweden's most powerful noble families, the Bjälbo family, as the child of Birger Brosa and the Queen Dowager Brigida Haraldsdotter; her mother was the child of King Harald Gille of Norway and had in her first marriage herself been the Queen of Sweden in 1160–1161.

In 1200, she was married to King Sverker after the death of his first consort and became Queen of Sweden directly upon her marriage. Through her connections, she was to play an important part in her husband's politics. In 1202, her father died, and queen Ingegerd and her husband proclaimed their one-year-old son Prince Johan as the heir and head of the Bjelbo clan through her. In 1204, a conflict broke out between her husband and her family, and in 1205, her family broke with her after the death of the sons of King Canute I of Sweden at the Battle of Älgarås. She acted as mediator between the king and her family, but failed to reconcile them, and in 1210, her husband was killed at the Battle of Gestilren.

The later life of queen Ingegerd is not known, nor is the year of her death. In 1216, her son was made king. Historians suggest that she spent her later life with her brother Magnus, in Scania or in Denmark. The year of 1230 is suggested as the date of her death.

Children

• John I of Sweden, (1201?–1222), king 1216–1222.

Ancestry

Family of Ingegerd Birgersdotter of Bjelbo

8. Folke the Fat                       4. Bengt Snivil                             18. Canute IV of Denmark               9. Ingrid Knutsdotter                       19. Adela of Flanders               2. Birger Brosa                                   5. Sigrid Lakman (?)                             1. Ingegerd Birgersdotter of Bjelbo                                         12. Magnus III of Norway (?)                       6. Harald IV of Norway                             3. Brigida Haraldsdotter                                   28. Inge the Elder               14. Ragnvald Ingesson                       29. Helena               7. Ingrid Ragnvaldsdottir

References

• Agneta Conradi Mattsson: Riseberga kloster, Birger Brosa & Filipssönerna (Risberga convent, birger brosa and the sons of Philip) Vetenskapliga skrifter utgivna av Örebro läns museum 2, 1998, ISBN 91-85642-24-X
• Dick Harrison: Jarlens sekel - En berättelse om 1200-talets Sverige. (The century of the jarl en story from 13th century Sweden) Ordfront, Stockholm, 2002, ISBN 91-7324-999-8
• Åke Ohlmarks: Alla Sveriges drottningar (All the queens of Sweden) (Swedish)

Succession

Ingegerd Birgersdotter Born: 1180 Died: 7 April after 1210 (1230?)
Swedish royalty
Preceded by Benedikte Ebbesdotter	Queen consort of Sweden 1200–1208	Succeeded by Rikissa of Denmark